Stratford Astronomy Group

Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s hometown is Ailsa Craig, not far from my hometown, St Marys, Ontario. He is about to make space history with his mission in the Artemis II launch, scheduled for as early as February 8. Read this interesting story by Jack Sutton published by CBC News. To read, you can click here.

Tom Kimber – News

 

 

 

You can click here for a review of the January 6 meeting

We had two presentations by club members:

1. The Moon’s Two Faces – presented by Tom Kimber
2. Hubble Trouble – presented by Bruce Simpson

 

For a deeper dive into Black Holes and the science behind their existence, you can view the information here. This is provided by the Perimeter Institute located in Waterloo, Ontario

For a perspective on the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project, click here.

Tom Kimber – News

When the Artemis II moon mission launches in April, a Canadian astronaut will be ready for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. How does he feel about this?  Read this story by science journalist Amanda Buckiewicz, published in CBC News, to find out.

Click this link for a peek at the planned flight path trajectory.

Tom Kimber – News

 

 

You can click here for a review of the December 2 meeting

We had two presentations by club members:

1. The Orion Constellation
2. Using the SeeStar S50 to view Comet C-2023-A3 and using free software to enhance the images produced

Tom Kimber – News

You can now use an app to spot and track the International Space Station (ISS) using your phone. To find out how, see Jeff Spy’s article in SPACE.com by clicking here.

Tom Kimber – News

SPACE.com Reference Editor Daisy Dobrijevic shows you how to spot and track the STARLINK Satellite train using your phone. To find out how, click here.

Tom Kimber – News

A double star known as V Sagittae in the constellation Sagitta has been identified as a candidate to trigger a  Type Ia supernova that could be as bright as the moon.

• The system’s setup: V Sagittae is a binary system where a white dwarf is pulling mass from a larger companion star.
• The process: This “cannibalistic” act of mass transfer creates an accretion disk and causes the white dwarf to heat up and grow in mass.
• The impending explosion: The white dwarf is approaching the Chandrasekhar limit (of 1.4 solar masses), the point at which its internal pressure can no longer support its own weight against gravity. Once this limit is reached, it will trigger a Type Ia supernova.
• The timeline: While the exact date is uncertain, a major event is expected to occur around the end of the 21st century, possibly around 2083. However, recent studies suggest it could happen sooner, with a potential nova outburst in the coming years.
• The visibility: The supernova is expected to be extremely bright, potentially shining as brightly as the full moon and visible even in the daytime from Earth.
• The significance: This event would provide a unique opportunity for astronomers to study the violent death of a binary star system directly. 

This constellation is situated between the constellations Cygnus and Aquila.

For a deeper explanation of what is happening, see this video from SPACE.com 

Tom Kimber – News

 

Sixteen years back, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen joined the elite company of astronauts training for a Moon mission. Find out what it has been like to train for this once-in-a-life-time Moon mission by reading this story by science journalist Nicole Mortillaro published in CBC News.

Tom Kimber – News

Paul Bartlett took some photos of celestial objects with his S50 SEESTAR. He then processed the photos with Siril, GraXpert, GIMP and StarNet++ (all free programs).

And for members interested in the other equipment that you might check out for borrowing, see this list HERE. If you are a member and interested in a loan of any equipment in the above list, reach Paul Bartlett  at this email address: 1948paul.bartlett@gmail.com

Tom Kimber – News

Keep looking up!